Office
development environmental technology solutions
Rivergreen Developments plc - Prime Minister commends special low impact office development
The Prime Minister has praised an
innovative North East building as an icon of environmental
responsibility.
Tony Blair has officially opened the Rivergreen Centre on the
edge of Durham City, which has become a national showcase for
modern sustainable office developments.
He said: "It is amazing to see how much effort and creativity
has gone into the Rivergreen Centre.
"The building demonstrates real leadership in design and
environmental technology. It shows how it is possible to have
economic and sustainable growth and enable people to work in a
wonderful building."
Built by Rivergreen Developments plc and designed for
multi-occupation, the £7.5 million office and conference centre
now provides a workplace for over 300 people. It incorporates a
range of low impact eco-friendly building concepts alongside a
high tech communications infrastructure to provide modern, high
specification office accommodation.
Peter Candler, managing director of Rivergreen Developments
said: "The aim throughout the entire design and construction
process has been to minimise the effect on the environment by
providing a building with the highest green credentials
possible.
"However, we have also sought to demonstrate that low impact
green design does not have to be at the expense of high quality
modern office accommodation.
"The end result has been very well received and we believe goes
some way to showing that it is possible to design modern,
pleasurable places to work yet still tread softly on the
landscape."
Britain's largest rammed earth wall forms the central spine of
the 50,000 sq ft building. It is formed largely from compacted
earth excavated from site during construction and provides a
natural means of regulating office temperature and humidity.
Office ventilation is provided through a simple system of
openable windows and louvres, intelligent sensors control
lighting and heating is provided by wood burning boilers. Hot
water is provided by solar panels and the roof comprises a
flowering sedum blanket, which not only provides a natural
colourful appearance but also reduces rainwater run off, with
the harvested water being used in the building.
In operational terms a computerised building management system
continually monitors office conditions to ensure the efficient
use of energy. These measures include intelligent lighting
systems, passive ventilation and real time checks on a variables
such as ambient temperature, water consumption and boiler
performance.
Designed by Newcastle-based architects Jane Derbyshire and David
Kendall, the Rivergreen Centre was awarded an Excellent rating
under the Building Research Establishment Environmental
Assessment Method (BREEAM) for offices.
As part of environmental monitoring undertaken in the building
since it opened, annual emissions are put at 22.8kg of CO2 per
square metre, compared to the Carbon Trust's good practice Encon
19 standard of 37.8kg of CO2 per square metre.
The Rivergreen Centre was completed last year with support from
Single Progamme Funding from One North East and European
Regional Development Funding from Government Office.
Email: Jo@mhwpr.co.uk